As North Dakota slashes its prison population amid pandemic, other states lag behind Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Forum News Service
North Dakota has done more than any other state in the U.S. to reduce its prison population during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a nonprofit group's analysis.
North Dakota state prisons housed 1,461 inmates as of late April or early May, which was down 333 compared to Dec. 31, according to the findings of the Prison Policy Initiative, which researches incarceration. That means the state cut its prison population by 19%.
“They’re doing something right,” Prison Policy spokeswoman Wanda Bertram said, noting that North Dakota is a standout state that prepared for the virus in the most realistic way.